Tip of the cap to Chagrin

As we embark on a historic state semifinal week for The News-Herald coverage area in football with a pair of Lake County teams in the final four, let's take a moment to pay homage to an incredible run that came to an end Saturday.

There have been a lot of impressive numbers put up in our area the last four years statistically - individually and team-wise. But Chagrin Falls' four-year run of going 51-6 and making three straight state final four appearances has to rank somewhere toward the top of the list.

Participating in 17 playoff games - nearly two full extra seasons of football - since 2009 speaks so highly of that program. There are seniors on that football team who, until Saturday, had enjoyed such a run in their fall sport that they may not have literally ever seen a November practice for their winter sport.

This Chagrin campaign ended roughly Saturday at Solon with a 34-7 loss to an Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary squad that was outstanding in all respects, and tears flowed freely on that Chagrin sideline at Stewart Field afterward.

The numbers, however, are pretty darn impressive. All-time, Chagrin is now 17-10 in 10 playoff appearances. Of those 17 wins, 11 have come in the last four years.

There are some programs putting together great football in our area - including two of Lake County's finest, of course, in Mentor and Kirtland that will carry the area banner into Week 14. When that discussion is taking place of which programs are performing the best, Chagrin Falls deserves its spot in the discussion as well - 51-6, after all, speaks effectively for itself.